Matt Maher analysis: Aston Villa defeat will not dampen the optimism around Villa Park

Goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey might then have earned the visitors victory but across the opening two matches of the season, Villa’s performances have given you more reasons to be cheerful than not. That, essentially, appeared to be the crux of Emery’s post-match message.

The only reason to be pessimistic is if you truly believe Ollie Watkins will continue to squander the kind of chances he did against the Gunners. Watkins served up an early contender for miss of the season when he pulled a first-half finish wide of the post with the goal gaping and was then denied by a save-of-the-season contender from David Raya, though the sense was he should not have given the Arsenal goalkeeper any chance to make it.

That moment, which came when his team were well on top, was later identified by Emery as the game’s key turning point and, much like the manager’s assessment of the overall performance, it was hard to argue.

When Emi Martinez, fresh from celebrating his new contract, then allowed Thomas Partey’s shot to slip under his left glove it further strengthened the feeling this was a day when those big moments simply did not go Villa’s way.

Otherwise, there was little to choose between the two teams. Even taking into account the fact it is only week two, where everyone is still feeling their way into the campaign and no real form exists, that is encouraging, particularly when taking into account the PSR-enforced changes Villa were required to make. For Martinez and Watkins, their two most dependable and important performers last term, days like this should be a rarity.

Supporters seeking further optimism, meanwhile, only need to rewatch the performance of Morgan Rogers. The attacker has started his first full season in the Premier League eager to build on the promise shown in the early months following his January move from Middlesbrough.

He looks bigger and stronger, both physically and mentally. There were at least three or four occasions on Saturday when he collected the ball and advanced it more than 50 yards, opposing players bouncing off him as though they were puppets. Between the boxes, Arsenal had few answers to Rogers’ power. Already, it feels safe to describe him as Villa’s best ball carrier since Jack Grealish.

The only thing lacking – and it applied to several Villa players – was the final ball. Granted, Rogers completed the simple task of teeing up Watkins for his first-half miss, while it was also his pass from which Amadou Onana hit the deflected shot that cannoned against the bar seconds before Raya’s superb second-half save.

There were other times, however, when Rogers did not make the most of the space his own good work had created. One first-half counter-attack broke down when a pass most of the stadium were anticipating was intercepted, while at other times he was perhaps guilty of trying to do too much.

Such criticism might seem harsh for a player who was undoubtedly the most eye-catching on the pitch and may well have done enough, in front of the watching Lee Carsley, to earn a first senior England call later this week. Yet such refinement is required, if you want to consistently be the match-winner.

Result aside, the biggest disappointment of Villa’s day was the first-half injury sustained by Matty Cash. The right-back was forced off just 15 minutes in with a hamstring problem and the initial post-match prognosis was not particularly positive. Teenager Kosta Nedeljkovic, flung into the action far sooner than he would have expected, performed admirably but the right side of defence is an area where Villa look rather short on resources. Emery’s desire to keep Ezri Konsa at centre-back feels the right decision in the long-term, but right now adding defensive reserves is likely to be an increasing focus over the transfer window’s final days.

Friday’s deadline will at least bring the manager clarity on where his squad stands for the opening half of the campaign. Emery described playing in August as being “difficult” in part due to the uncertainty of the window still being open and it would be wrong to read too much into a period which, at times, feels like an extension of pre-season.

Arsenal have won two from two but it would be a stretch to say they have yet lived up to their billing as title favourites. Against both Villa and Wolves, they needed the brilliance of Raya to ensure the result went their way.

Villa, beaten 8-1 on aggregate by Newcastle and Liverpool in the opening weeks of last season, look in a better place 12 months down the line.

Yet in truth their campaign won’t really begin in earnest until the Champions League starts busying the schedule and testing the true depth of Emery’s squad and the value of the club’s work in the window. All they have done in the opening 180 minutes is take the first steps on what promises to be a long, occasionally exhausting, journey. At least, to begin with, they appear to be moving in the right direction.